Valve seat washing pump and chemical injector



Nov. 10, 1959 M. A. ADAMS 2,911,921

VALVE SEAT WASHING PUMP AND CHEMICAL INJECTOR Filed Feb. 25, 1957 sSheets-Sheet 1 a M "A y w w a a 4 m L f a k M v 7 AW d. A W 4 6 a W I. 61 Q Ila 11|||I!|\l1il\\3l| W a W A B I M M A flW7////////YY\\\ j A a U AU M r/// A a M 7 Nov. 10, 1959 M. A. ADAMS VALVE SEAT WASHING PUMP ANDCHEMICAL INJECTOR Filed Feb. 25, 1957 s Sheets-Sheet 2 i 1 -illliV f IMaze/ A. Ada);

INVENTOR.

BY a 4 ATTORNEY Nov. 10, 1959 M. A. ADAMS VALVE SEAT WASHING PUMP ANDCHEMICAL INJECTOR Filed Feb. 25, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet. 3

Moze/ A. Adams INVENTOR.

BY M6. 3

M L v// 4 7 g A A V 3. In ,||l\| A TTORNE) Unite T States Patent VALVESEAT WASHING PUMP AND CHEMICAL INJECTOR Mozel A. Adams, Rayne, La.,assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, to Trex Corporation,Lafayette, 1.21., a corporation of Louisiana Application February 25,1957, Serial No. 641,916

Claims. (Cl. 103-179 This invention relates to a valve seatwashingwellpump and more particularly to such a pump which may be positioned inthe Well at a selected location and held at such position duringoperation. a

it is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide such apump adapted to wash its delivery valve on upstroke or delivery strokeand adapted to wash its inlet valve on downstro-ke or return stroke.

It is also an object of this invention to provide such a pump which maybe placed in operation at a predetermined position in a well bore pipestring through cooperation with latching means provided in such pipe oroptionally placed in operation at selective positions in the pipe stringby frictional engagement with the pipe wall at such positions.

it is another object of this invention to provide a novel and improvedself-cleaning pump which is especially suitable for use in an oil well,said pump being simple in construction, involving only a few parts, andproviding an eflicicnt self-cleaning action which frees the valves ofthe pump from accumulations of sand or other foreign mate-- rials in acontinuous manner simultaneously with the normal action of the pump. g

A further object of the invention is to provide an improvedself-cleaning pump for use in oil wells and the like, said pumpinvolving inexpensive components, being reliable in operation, beingprovided with means for continuously clearing the valve portions of thepump of sand or other foreign material, thus preventing the pump frombecoming fouled, and being arranged so that floating sand and other finepowdered material encountered in the fluid being handled by the pumpwill be moved through thepump and will not settle or accumulate aroundthe moving parts of the pump.

it is also an object of this invention to provide a pump of this classwhich may be adapted as a chemical injector to deliver chemicals to washits valve seats.

Other and further objects and advantages will become apparent from thefollowing description and claims, and from the accompanying drawingswherein:

.Fig. 1-A is a sectional elevation of the upper part of the Fig. 1-B isa sectional elevation of the lower part of one modification of the pump;

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1-A;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the lower part of anothermodification of the pump; 7

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken along line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of still another modification of theinvention adaptedas a chemical injector;

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view through the top of still anothermodification of the invention adapted as a chemical injector, thesection being taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 7;

vFig. 7 is a sectional elevation of the modification of Patented Nov.10, 1959 the invention of which Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of an adapter employed to convert thechemical injector shown in Figs. 6 and 7 to use as a pump.

Referring to the drawings, the pump is designated generally as 11 andoperates in a pipe string, casing, or tubing 12. A pump rod 13 isconnected to the top of the pump and extends to the top of the wellwhere it is connected to a conventional reciprocatory pump to move therod 13 upwardly anddownwardly and thereby force fluid from the well inthe upstroke.

The top element of the pump 11 to which the rod 13 is connectedcomprises a ball cage 14, as shown in Fig. lfiA, such cage havingapertures 15 therein and containing the ball valve 16 to seat upon aport 16' through the top of a hollow plunger .18, the ball cage 14 beingthreadedly engaged on a reduced, externally threaded top 17 of suchhollow plunger 18 while the plunger slidably and sealably engages thepipe string 12, such plunger being provided with a plurality of annularsealing rings 19 secured in grooves 20 formed in the exterior of thehollow plunger 18. Such rings may be of any suitable material, such asfibre, or the like, adapted to slidably and sealably engage the insidewall surface of the pipe. I

As shown in Fig. 1-A the top 17 of the plunger 18 is formed with anannular seat 21 on which the valve ball 16 sealably engages responsiveto gravity and the weight of the column of fluid thereabove until liftedfrom the seat 21 By thefforce o'f fluid delivered upwardly thereby onthe upstroke of the plunger 13, such fluid passing into the hollowplunger 18 through apertures 24 in the inwaidly' tapered lower end 23 ofthe plunger, and thence through ports 25 in the head 17 of the plunger18 for delivery past the ball valve 16, the ports 25 and the port 16thus constituting the port means establishing fluid communicationbetween the tubing interior above the check valve 16 and the plungerinterior therebelow.

A vertical conduit 26 is secured to the plunger 18 as shown in Fig. 1-Aand communicating with the conduit 26 in alignment therewith andsimilarly secured to the plunger 13 is an upwardly extending verticalconduit 26' which has its upper end secured to the plunger head 17 Suchconduit 26 communicates with passages or passageways 27 in the head 17and such passages extend outwardly through the wall of the head 17'.

The passages 27 thus place the conduit 26' in communication with thecasing interior above the seal rings 19 and, as directed, upward fluiddischarge therefrom may communicate with the interior of theball cage 14through the apertures 15 to wash the ball valve 16 when it is seated.

The depending vertical conduit 26 extends slidably and sealably througha stufling box 28 in the top end of a vertical cylinder 29, the conduit26 being received through a sealing gland 30 provided centrally in suchtop end, as shown in Fig. 1-A. Secured to the lower end of the conduit26' is the circular piston 31, shown in Fig. 1-A, said piston beingprovided at its periphery with the resilient I 29 above the piston 31.Thus, as will be presently ex- 16, agitating the region around the valveball and washing said ball free of any foreign material, such as sandand the like.

The bottom wall 33 of the cylinder 29 has an aperture 33 therethroughand is provided with a depending externally threaded conduit or boss 34to which is threadedly secured a valve member ball cage 35, the topportion of said ball cage being provided with an axial vertical passage36 which is in communication with the space in cylinder 29 below piston31, whereby said space is in free communication with the interior of theball cage 35. The interior of the hall cage 35 is likewise in freecommunication with the space in casing 12 below plunger 18 by theprovision of the apertures 37 in the ball cage, as shown in Fig. 1-B.The ball cage 35 contains the valve ball 38, as shown.

Threadedly secured to the lower portion of the ball cage 35 is thehold-down tube 40 which has installed thereon the lead seal 41 to seaton the upper tapered surface 42 of a hold-down ring 43 provided in a subor joint 44 in the casing 12. The lower part of the holddown tube 40 hasvertically extending slots 45 therein with toes or lugs 46 on the lowerends of the prongs 47 between the slots 45. Thus when the hold-down tube40 is thrust downwardly the prongs 47 contract responsive to the weightand thrust thereon and pass through the ring 43 and then the toes orlugs 46 spring outwardly and latch under the lower, tapered surface ofthe ring 43, while the leaded seal seats upon the upper tapered surfaceof the ring 43 in tightly sealing engagement.

The ball cage 35 has a port 48 through the lower surface thereof, and aseat 49 is provided around the upper rim of such passage on which theball valve 38 is sealably engageable and on which said ball valve 38seats when the piston 31 moves downwardly to force fluid thereagainst.Thus the lower ball valve 38 is washed free of small particles as sand,on the downstroke and the interior of the ball cage is agitated and alsowashed free of any particles which might otherwise settle therein.

The operation of the pump is obvious. The working barrel in which theplunger works is provided by the tubing. On the downstroke the downwardmovement of the piston 31 washes the lower ball valve 38 while valvewashing fluid from the casing above the plunger 18 is drawn in throughthe passages 27 to fill the conduits 26', 26 and to flow outwardlythrough the ports 32' to fill the cylinder 29 above the piston 31. Thedownstroke, which thus forces the lower ball valve 38 seated, alsoforces delivery fluid upwardly from the lower ball cage 35 and into theplunger 18 through the apertures 24 and thence through the plunger headpassages 25 to lift the upper ball valve 16 and force fluid out the ballcage apertures 15 in the fluid delivery stroke.

On the upstroke the piston 31 forces the fluid out of the space of thecylinder 29 above the piston 31, which space is the reservoir for theupper valve washing fluid, and forces such valve washing fluid outthrough the passageways 27 against the wall of the tubing 12 to berichocheted in a churning action to pass back upwardly and inwardly towash the upper ball valve 16, and the interior of the upper ball cage14. Also, on the upstroke, the upward movement of the piston 31 createssuction to draw the lower ball valve 38 off of its seat, such ball valvealso being adapted to be unseated responsive to fluid pressure frombelow, and production fluid flows past the lower ball cage 35 and outinto the annular space thereabove within the tubing 12.

A modification of the lower end of the pump is shown in Fig. 3 in whicha friction shoe 50 is installed on the lower end 34 of the cylinder 29having an axial passage 51 therethrough to communicate with the cylinderinterior thereabove. Such shoe has a plurality of sealing rings 32thereon of such number and contexure that they can sealably anchor theshoe and the pump thereabove in position in the well bore to which thepump and shoe thereon may he urged. In such position the frictionalengagement with the well bore casing will be suflicient to withstand thedownward thrust movement of the piston 31 without being displacedthereby, and which can also withstand any upward movement of the pistonwithout corresponding displacement.

Below the shoe 50 a conventional standing valve assembly 52 ispositionable at any desired position and after the positioning forceapplying means is withdrawn the frictional seal rings 32 on the assembly52 are capable of asserting and maintaining such sealing and frictionalengagement with the casing 12 as to withstand displacement downwardlyresponsive to fluid pressure as urged by the pump downstroke, and so asto withstand displacement upwardly responsive to any suction effectcreated thereby.

The assembly 52 includes a tubular body 53 on which the seal ring 32'are slid and spaced by spacer rings 54 and threadably locked thereon bythe bottom hold-down ring 55. A ball cage assembly 56 is installed inthe top of the body 53 to control upward fluid passage therefrom bymeans of the ball valve 57, which when lifted, permits fluid to pass outthrough sideward apertures 58 and a top aperture 59.

The operation of this modification of the invention is obviously incorrespondence with the operation hereinabove described since the fluidurged downwardly by the piston 31 seats the ball valve 37 as it washesit, and with the valve 37 thus closed, fluid is urged upwardly throughpassages 60 in the shoe 50 outwardly of the axial passage 51, and thenceinto the plunger 18 and therefrom as hereinabove described. On the otherhand on upstroke the valve 57 lifts and fluid is drawn from therebelowinto the casing above the standing valve assembly The modification ofthe invention including the friction shoe and standing valve assemblyhas the advantage of flexibility of position since the elevation atwhich the standing valve assembly and the spacing of the shoe therefromare selective for any part of the casing. On the other hand, themodification of the invention requiring a latching ring at apre-determined position in the casing does not admit of such selectivitybut does have the advantage of being easily lowered into position ascompared with the force required to locate the shoe and standing valvein the other form of the invention.

Each form of the invention permits full washing of both the upper andlower valves respectively controlling delivery and intake while thesevalves are seated and thereby offer decided advantages over pumpsheretofore employed which operate on the lost-motion theory through notbeing able to anchor the lower parts of the pump with relation to theplunger and piston.

When it becomes necessary to withdraw the pump from the well it has beenfound preferable to provide some means to protect the piston 31 fromlifting the weight of the cylinder 29 and parts therebelow. To this enda conventional L-slot 61 is provided in the lower end 62 of the plunger18 and a lug 63 is provided in the sleeve 64 which extends upwardly fromthe gland 30 fixed to the cylinder 29. Thus with the plunger 18 rotatedwith relation to the sleeve 64 the lug 63 is moved into the horizontalleg of the L-slot and thereafter the pump may be lifted with the lowerend 62 of the plunger carrying the weight therebelow through the lug 63.

The pump may also be adapted as a chemical injector to inject a chemicalto wash the valve seats in cases where the pump is constructed to belowered into the well bore on the hollow rod 13. In such case a bore 70is provided in the top of the ball cage 14 and until used the bore 70 isclosed by a plug 71 threaded thereinto. When chemical is to be injectedthe plug 71 is removed and chemical is pumped down the rod 13 to washthrough the bore 70 and wash the ball valve 16 and its seat 21.

The piston 31 may also be modified to serve as a chemical injector byboring and 'countersinking thepiston head as shown at 72 in Fig. 5. Thecountersunk bore provides a valve seat 75 for a ball valve 73, fluidpassages 74 extending from such valve seat 75 to the upper surface ofthe piston 31. The valve 75 is urged seated upwardly by a spring 76which bears one ring 77 threadable into the bore 72 and providing a flowpassage 78 therethrough. A plug 79 is threadable into the bore 72 behindthe ring 77 to close the piston '31 when it is not being used to injectchemical. Such plug is removed when chemical is to be injected, thechemical being pumped down the sucker rod ortubing string 1-3 from thetop of the well to pass out through the ports in the cage 14 on upstroke of the pump 11 to pass downwardly via the passages 27 and pistonrod 26, 26 through the ports 32' into the cylinder 29 to unseat the ballvalve 73 to permit the chemical to pass through the piston 31.Thereafter the ball valve 73 seats on the downstroke and the chemicalwashes the lower ball valve 38 or 57, as the case may be, and isdistributed in the space exteriorly of the cylinder 29.

As best shown in Fig. 6, a modified type of chemical injector is shownin which connection is made to the upper ball cage 14 by an adapter 60threadable upon the upper end of such cage, the lower end of suchadapter 60 being bored, counterbored, and countersunk to provide anupper seating surface for the ball valve 16, as will be hereinbelowdescribed, and to provide a communication orifice 62 between the ballcage interior and a tapered space 61 provided within the adapter 60.Connection between the adapter 60 and the hollow pumping rod 13thereabove is threadedly effected at 65, and therebelow the adapter istapered outwardly at 63 to larger diameter. At the greatest dimension ofthe tapered interior space 61 a ring of ports 64 is provided through thewall of the adapter.

On upstroke the ball 73 is unseated to let the chemical pass downwardlythereby and down through the piston into the space therebelow while theball valve 38 there. below (Fig. 1B), or the ball valve 57 therebelow(Fig. 3) in case this structure is used, is lifted by such upstroke. Inthis case, the ball 16 is seated by virtue of the pressure of the fluidthereabove acting thereon, and this ball 16 is also washed while seated,as the fluid into which the adapter 66 is lifted passes in through theports 64 and downwardly and out through the orifice 62 to be directed ontop of the seated ball 16.

On downstroke the ball 73 seats upwardly at 75 in the piston 31, andalso the ball valve 16 seats upwardly as shown in dotted lines in Fig.7, while the chemical pumped down the tube 13 passes out the ports 64and into the space surrounding the upwardly travelling head 17', andinto the passages 27 in the head 17, and through the piston rods 26, 26,and through the ports 32' in the piston rod 26 out into the space in thecylinder 29 above the piston 31, such piston being constructed as shownin Fig. 5.

It thus follows that with this form of the invention, as employed as achemical injector, the upper ball valve 16 is washed on upstroke and thelower ball valve 38 or 57, as the case may be, is washed on downstroke.

When the pump 11 is to be returned to use as a well pump, it is onlynecessary to remove the adapter 60 and substitute a blank adapter 66,Fig. 8, internally threaded at 67 for connection to the top of the cage14, and externally threaded at 68 for connection to the lower end of thepipe string or rod 13.

As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the head 17' may preferably have the passages27 therein extending upwardly, with alternately angularly spaced apartpassage 27 extending downwardly, so that on upstroke the fluid directedupwardly through the passages 27 will wash the seated ball valve 16,while the fluid directed downwardly through the passages 27 will morereadily wash away any sand which might otherwise deposit above the uppersealing ring 19. I

Broadly this invention covers a self-cleaning pump,- which may alsobeused as a chemical injector, and while' specific embodiments have beendisclosed it will be understood that various modifications within thespirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art and it isintended that no limitations be placed on the invention except asdefined by the broad scope of interpretation claimed and merited for theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a pump, a well bore pumping rod having a lower endto which said pump is connected, and a well bore tubing, said pumpincluding a hollow plunger, seal means on said plunger establishingslidable contact with relation to said tubing and having a headproviding a first port means therethrough establishing fluidcommunication between said tubing interior above the plunger seal meansand the plunger interior and a downwardly seating upper check valveconnecting said head to said lower end of said pumping rod andcontrolling fluid communication between said first port means and thetubing string thereabove, said plunger having aperture means thereinbetween the plunger interior and the tubing interior below said plungerseal, a depending conduit connected to said head, a first passagewaymeans through said head establishing fluid communication between thetubing string interior above said plunger and said conduit, a pistonconnected to the lower end of said conduit, a cylinder slidably housingsaid piston therein and having aperture means in the lower end thereofbelow said piston, a valve member below said cylinder having a secondport means establishing fluid communication between the interior of saidtubing therebelow and thereabove, means sealably anchoring said cylinderand said valve member in said tubing, a second passageway means providedbetween the interior of said conduit and the interior of said cylinderabove said piston, and a downwardly seating lower check valve providedin said valve member to control said second port means, whereby onupstroke the lower check valve is lifted and production fluid is drawninto the tubing interior thereabove and upon downstroke said pistonforces such production fluid to close said lower check valve and washsaid lower check valve and pass upwardly into said plunger through saidplunger aperture means and through said first port means to lift saidupper check valve to pass into the tubing interior thereabove, saidpiston on do-wnstroke drawing valve washing fluid from said tubinginterior above said plunger through said first passageway means and saidconduit and said second passageway means to reservoir in said cylinderabove said piston, and on upstroke forcing such valve washing fluid outof reservoir through said second passageway means, said conduit, andsaid first passageway means into the tubing interior above said plungerto richochet against the tubing wall in a churn ing action to wash saidupper check valve.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 which includes latch means toreleasably connect said plunger and said cylinder together whereby saidpump may be withdrawn from the well with said piston spaced below thetop of said cylinder.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which said cylinder includesa friction ring means connected thereto to stabilize it in said tubingand in which said valve member is spaced below said cylinder andincludes a friction ring means thereon to anchor it in said tubing.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which said well bore tubingprovides a ring therein, and in which said cylinder includes hold-downmeans cooperative with said ring to releasably latch said cylinderseated upon said ring.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which said pumping rod ishollow, and in which said upper check valve includes a cage as theelement connecting said,

pump to said hollow pumping rod, and in which said cage includes a valveelement as the means controlling fluid communication between said firstport means and the tubing interior, and in which said cage also providesan aperture through the top thereof to place the interior of said cagein fluid communication with the interior of said hollow rod, and inwhich said piston has a valve therein spring urged seated upwardly tocontrol fluid passage downwardly therethrough from the interior of saidconduit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS HolmesNov. 20, 1917 Chrisman et a1. Apr. 28, 1925 Byers Sept. 3, 1929Blankenship Dec. 31, 1929 Holmes Nov. 5, 1935 Cox Mar. 15, 1938 SmootFeb. 11, 1941 Pate Aug. 16, 1955 Adams Jan. 3, 1956

